No lull in ME peace talks
2008-09-23 21:34
Ramallah - Chief Palestinian
negotiator Ahmed Qurie won an assurance from Israeli prime
minister-designate Tzipi Livni on Tuesday that peace talks will
not stall while she tries to form a new coalition government.
In an interview with Reuters following their meeting, Qurie
warned that violence could erupt if the talks collapsed.
"The Palestinians will continue to negotiate. But, if the
talks reached a dead end, what do we do? Capitulate? Resistance
in all its forms is a legitimate right," Qurie said.
He said he had had a good first meeting with Livni, his
Israeli negotiating counterpart and currently Foreign Minister,
since her appointment as prime minister-designate on Monday.
"Livni reassured me she would continue the peace process
without accepting any conditions."
Israeli officials confirmed the meeting had taken place, but
denied that Livni had made any promises about the contents of the
negotiations going forward.
Some prospective coalition partners
object to including Jerusalem in the talks.
"Livni assured her Palestinian counterpart that the meetings
and working sessions will continue in the same format, with no
change, even through the period in which she is trying to put
together a governing coalition," said Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Yigal Palmor.
But, he added: "She made no promises, such as the one he
(Qurie) alluded to, concerning the contents of the talks."